State-owned flag carrier Qatar Airways has launched the world's longest commercial passenger flight at New Zealand’s Auckland Airport.
The airline's new service will involve a daily Boeing 777 flight between Auckland in New Zealand and Doha in Qatar.
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The 14,535km-long route has a flight time of 17 hours and 30 minutes from Auckland to Doha, and 16 hours and ten minutes from Doha to Auckland.
Auckland Airport Aeronautical Commercial acting general manager Scott Tasker said: “We welcome Qatar Airways to Auckland and New Zealand.
“They are an award-winning airline which offers travellers access to more than 150 destinations worldwide, high-quality in-flight service, and the opportunity for a stopover in Qatar.”
The new service is expected to accommodate more than 189,000 passengers and a cargo capacity of 6,000t on the service route each year.
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By GlobalDataTasker added: “We expect the new route to be particularly popular with European visitors to New Zealand, and that this will help New Zealand continue to grow and diversify its inbound visitor markets and increase tourism spending around the country.
“New Zealanders will also value having an exciting new airline option when they travel to the UK and Europe.”
According to an estimate made by the airport, the new Qatar Airways flight service will add $198m to the country’s economy.
Image: An aerial view of New Zealand's Auckland Airport. Photo: courtesy of Land Information New Zealand.
